Oil seals are used to confine lubricating oils, and are commonly utilized between housings and rotating members extending therethrough. Such seals normally produce a sealing relationship between the outer diameter of the seal with a housing, and a sealing relationship with the rotating member at the seal inner diameter.
In internal combustion engines it is common to employ an oil seal at the rear of the engine block where the crankshaft extends through the block for attachment to the clutch or transmission. Such crankshaft oil seals are relatively large in diameter, but of limited radial and axial dimension having little structural strength, and must be closely confined to achieve their purpose.
Due to the heat, vibration and extended wear to which engine crankshaft seals are subjected, difficulty has been experienced in designing this type of seal which would produce efficient sealing over extended durations. By sophisticated seal design and tolerance control, acceptable seals have now been produced for this purpose, but difficulty has been encountered in properly installing the seals in such a manner as not to damage the seal and insure proper orientation wherein the seal is free of localized stresses and misalignment.
As oil seals of the aforementioned type have little structural strength in themselves, it is most important that the seal be very carefully installed to prevent bending, twisting or crushing, and it is important that the axial and radial forces generated by the seal be uniform and directed in that manner for which the seal is designed. Oil seals are often installed by an axial displacement of the seal into a recess surrounding the crankshaft and if the axial forces imposed upon the seal are not uniformly distributed throughout the seal body cocking and tilting will occur which will produce the aforementioned problems and render the seal ineffective, or of limited duration.
It is an object of the invention to provide a tool for installing oil seals, such as for sealing crankshafts, wherein the tool is easy to use, does not damage the oil seal, and insures proper oil seal installation.
A further object of the invention is to provide an oil seal installing tool for installing an annular seal within an annular recess whereby uniform axial forces are imposed upon the seal during installation.
Another object of the invention is to provide an oil seal installing tool for use with crankshafts having an end intersected by threaded holes wherein the tool is temporarily attached to the crankshaft end to align the tool with the crankshaft and seal receiving recess and alignment of the tool is firmly maintained during the installation procedure.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide an oil seal installing tool which is of economical construction and may be utilized by operators of conventional mechanical ability.
In the practice of the invention the tool is employed in the installation of an oil seal upon a crankshaft having a plurality of axially extending threaded holes intersecting the crankshaft end. The seal is to be received within an annular recess defined in the engine block adjacent the crankshaft.
An adapter having a cylindrical guide surface of a diameter equal to the crankshaft diameter engaged by the oil seal is attached to the end of the crankshaft by threaded fasteners received within the crankshaft holes. A ram having an annular head overlying the adapter guide surface, and axially movable thereon, is supported upon an axial threaded shaft mounted on the adapter, and coaxial thereto. A wing nut threaded upon the shaft engages the ram for forcing the ram toward the crankshaft whereby upon placing the oil seal upon the adapter guide surface and attaching the adapter to the crankshaft end, rotation of the nut displaces the ram to force the seal from the guide surface into its engine block recess.
As the ram includes a seal engaging abutment surface lying in a plane perpendicular to the crankshaft axis, a uniform axial force is applied to the oil seal throughout its annular configuration as it is pushed into its recess. Thus, proper orientation of the seal is insured without imposing undue stress upon the seal, and engaging stop surfaces defined upon the adapter and ram prevent the seal from being crushed within the engine block recess.
The adapter is readily attached to the crankshaft end by a finger-type rotation of threaded fasteners which extend through the ram, and a compression spring circumscribing the threaded shaft biases the ram in a direction away from the adapter to expose the cylindrical guide surface upon the wing nut being "backed off" to a seal receiving position.